Monday, 31 December 2012

My story: Emma Cusick.

When I was 13 I begin my journey. I was on holiday with my family in Italy in a quaint little villa and then the reality of being a teenage girl strikes and I had my very first period. It was very heavy and very painful. Over the next 7 years this would be become my norm - as would countless visits to the doctors. All through my teens, I go to my doctors with period pain that can only be described as agony, along with recurring yeast and water infections. No input as to why these things where happening.

Anyway, fast forward 6 years to October 2011. I’m in my first semester ever of university, I am 150 miles away, I begin to experience a lot of pain which should not have been there as my period wasn’t due. The pain would then persist till this day. I go to my doctor at university again and again till November she diagnoses me with bacterial vaginismus - she gives me antibiotics and sends me away. 2 days later the pain has become worse. I go back to my doctors, I get told it’s probably the antibiotics and to stop taking them. I stop taking them. That night the pain becomes excruciating so I ring my mum. She and my step dad drove down to get me and take me home, however we didn’t make it home - we ended up at Addenbrookes Hospital. Within an hour of being there and taking my history, the gynaecologist gives me a working diagnosis of endometriosis. I come home, we see my gynaecologist and he decides to do surgery. I get a surgery date for April 2012. So I get on with uni the best I can until then. I have the surgery and I finish my first year at uni still never fully feeling the benefit of the surgery.

August 2012, I go back to my doctor (after a trip to A&E) and he refers me back to my gynaecologist (I felt like a pinball). I see one of his staff, and she tells me I’m going to have Zolodex treatment. Fast-forward 3 more months, in my first semester of my second year of uni - I’ve had the Zolodex injection and ever since been in excruciating agony every single day. The treatment isn’t helping, I’ve been on more drugs than I can count and I’m straight back into hospital.

My university work is suffering and so are my romantic and family relationships. My doctors have given me no information as to what their plan is. I’m popping so many tablets I’m rattling. I feel alone, misunderstood and worthless. This was meant to be an inspiring post, but then I started writing and thinking about it. I am 20, I’m at uni, I can’t go out clubbing, my boyfriend and I can’t make love, I may not be able to have children and every single day is a struggle against my endo, myself, my emotions, my body, my mind. Endometriosis is ruining my life.Thank you for sharing your story Emma.If you would like to contact Emma, you can follow her on Twitter @Emzycidical.Remember, every one of us has a different story, and the more shared, the more we can learn. If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact me at shireen.emlwy@gmail.com.S.

Hello!

I'm Shireen, a thirty something mama bear to a very special little ivf miracle and better half to my partner in crime, Daniel. This blog is all about my topsy turvy life with endometriosis, fibromyalgia and borderline osteoporosis. I hope you find it helps in your own journeys. ♥